Die Hard star Reginald VelJohnson weighs in on the ongoing debate over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not. VelJohnson is known for his role as Carl Winslow on the long-running sitcom Family Matters, appearing in all 215 episodes of the series. He's also been recently seen in Turner & Hooch on Disney+, reprising his role from the 1989 Tom Hanks vehicle of the same name.
VelJohnson is perhaps most well-remembered, however, for his role as troubled LAPD officer Al Powell in Die Hard, providing support for Bruce Willis' John McClane as he fights off terrorists that have taken over a Los Angeles skyscraper. Despite initially receiving mixed reviews, the film has gone on to become a classic of the action genre, leading to countless imitators and homages. Its popularity has led it to be shown on cable outlets during the holiday season, thus starting the debate over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not.
VelJohnson, in an interview with ComicBook.com, takes a stance that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. VelJohnson goes on to say that during filming, he didn't think of it as a Christmas movie, only thinking the holiday was used for setting up the story. Only after the film came out did he realize that audiences were responding to it as a Christmas movie. VelJohnson says he's fine with audiences thinking of it as a Christmas movie, allowing it to be shown every year, keeping the movie alive in the minds of its fans. Read VelJohnson's full quote below:
"When I was filming the film Die Hard, I didn't even think about it being a Christmas movie. I knew that there was a Christmas theme that was going on in the movie but it wasn't a major focus of the movie. And I never really realized that it was going to be a Christmas movie until the audience told me that it was. And when the audience said that it was a Christmas movie. I said, 'Yes and hell yes, it's a Christmas movie, whatever you want to do. As long as you see the movie, I'm fine with it.' But now that it's become a Christmas theme movie, I'm fine with it. They showed it every Christmas and that's fine with me. I'm okay with it."
Die Hard was the first of five films starring Willis, the most recent being the heavily panned A Good Day to Die Hard. VelJohnson's involvement in the franchise has been minimal since the original, only having a cameo appearance in Die Hard 2 in 1990. This has led to some mild backlash from fans, given VelJohnson's popularity for his role in the first film.
Die Hard is absolutely a Christmas film, not only in the way it's set at Christmas but the imagery of the film reflects the holiday spirit pushed through the lens of an action film, most notably in the final scene, where thousands of pieces of paper fall from the building, creating the appearance of falling snow. Since it's unlikely that fans will ever see a Die Hard 6, the original will stay within the cultural mind as one of the defining action movies of its time, and one of the most fun films ever made. Whether or not fans agree on its status as a Christmas movie, it'll always be a reminder for some of the most wonderful time of the year.
Source: comicbook.com